Montanmuseum Holz & Eisen Turrach

About the museum

Turrach lies at an altitude of around 1,300 metres on the border between Styria and Carinthia. Mining is attested here as early as the 13th century, but iron ore extraction and smelting only began on a large scale after 1657, when a Tyrolean copper smelter discovered iron deposits. From 1660 a mine, Floß furnaces and a miners' fund (Bruderlade) were established, supported by the princely House of Schwarzenberg.

The works enjoyed their heyday in the 19th century under the mining engineer Peter Tunner. In 1826 a modern charcoal blast furnace went into operation, and the foundry grew into one of the largest in Styria. In 1863 Peter Tunner the Younger put the first Bessemer converter on the European mainland into operation in Turrach; in 1865 production stood at 14,000 tonnes of ore. Because the remote site had no railway connection, production was finally stopped in 1909, and a large part of the plant was transported away.

Today's mining museum, run by an association, preserves the memory of this era. It is housed in the former Schwarzenberg carpentry building and presents mining and ironworking technology across more than 550 square metres of indoor space and a 2,000-square-metre outdoor area. A separate hammer building houses a tail hammer around 200 years old, and from the museum the Eisenweg (Iron Trail) leads to the remains of the mining installations in the village.

Highlights

• Life-size 1:1 replica of a Bessemer converter
• Tail hammer around 200 years old, a protected monument, with a water-drive model
• Furnace sow and one of the last iron rafts, from 1909
• Mining exhibits and mine carts (Hunte) on tracks in the outdoor area
• Eisenweg: geological trail to the traces of the ironworks, starting at the museum

Permanent exhibitions

• Montangeschichte Turrach – The Bessemer room, carpentry, mining room and hammer building show, across more than 550 square metres, how iron was extracted and processed in Turrach from 1660 to 1909.
• Eisenweg Turrach – Geological trail to the blast furnace, foundry, roasting plants and old tunnels, starting at the museum.

Operated by

Verein Montanmuseum Holz & Eisen Turrach

Admission & discounts

According to the website, admission prices apply to the guided tour.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Small car park with a park area at the museum according to the website; address Turrach 24a, 8864 Stadl-Predlitz.

Amenities & dining

In the village is the Gasthaus zum Bergmann in the former Verweserhaus (according to the museum's website, Eisenweg station 10).

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit